Knife sharpening crank



March 14, 1939. w. MAHL ER 2,150,535

KNIFE 'SHARPENING CRANK Filed April 16, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 1 March 14, 1939. w. MAHLER KNIFE SHARPENING CRANK s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1937 March 14, 1939. w. MAHLER KNIFE SHARPENING CRANK Filed April 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 14, 1939 KNIFE SHARPENING CRANK William Mahler, La Porte, Ind., assignor to U. S.

Slicing Machine Company, La Porte, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 16, 1937, Serial No. 137,216

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a substance slicing machine, particularly for dried beef and the like.

Machines for slicing dried beef, bacon and other substances of like characteristics are commonly of the type which employs a rotary knife mounted on a support to which is imparted a planetary motion. It has been found that in slicing substances such as dried beef only a small portion of the knife is actually effective. This: naturally results in a rapid dulling of the used portion and it is of course ineflicient in that the major portion of the knife is not employed for slicing purposes.

The average portion of the knife used in cutting dried beef extends 120 angular degrees around the periphery of the knife, or, in other words, is about one-third of the cutting edge of the knife. It has been suggested that this defect could be eliminated and the remaining twothirds of the surface of the knife could be em.- ployed by providing in the knife-driving mechanism means which cause the knife to rotate disproportionately to the planetary rotation of the knife support. In other words, it was suggested that if the knife be caused to rotate any whole number plus one-third times as fast as the planetary rotation of the support, successive one third portions of the knife would engage and cut the beef. However, this was found to be unsatisfactory. When the knife and the knife support are rotating the edge of the knife wobbles or Vibrates laterally and the surface of the beef is cut along a somewhat wavy line. portion of the knife is not employed to make the following cut, the slice thus formed will vary irregularly in width. Some of the slices cut by such a machine will be merely scraps chipped from the edges of the substance, while other slices will have excessively thick portions.

Since the slices must be extremely thin, any

variation in the width of a slice gives it a displeasing appearance which makes it unfit for sale. The sorting of the chips and the excessively thick slices from the slices of acceptable thickness is a difficult operation which also materially affects the cost of the service.

It is accordingly an object of applicants invention to provide in a slicing machine for dried beef or the like, means for overcoming such defects.

Specifically it is an object of applicants invention to provide means for adjusting the knife when one portion becomes dull to present another portion for cutting.

Another object of applicant's invention is to If the sameprovide in a slicing machine adjustable means for selecting and varying the portion of the knife to be used in cutting a substance to be sliced.

Another object of applicants invention is to provide in a slicing machine, means which shall be selectively operable to sharpen the knife and to determine the active portion of the knife whereby the whole surface of the knife may be employed before resharpening is required.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, will disclose to those skilled in the art the construction and operation of a preferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a slicing machine embodying applicants invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section at a right angle to Fig. 5 and taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic sketches explaining the operation of the mechanism of Figs.

Referring to Fig. 1, the driving motor I for the machine is mounted on a bracket 2 bolted to the base 3 and the motor is connected'through any conventional mechanism to a feed screw 4 for intermittentlyrotating the same. The driving shaft 5 is journaled in a housing 6 carried by the bracket 2, and in a bearing I mounted in a housing 8 which is secured to the base 3 at the end of the shaft 5.0pposite the housing 6. The motor I is connected to the shaft 5 by pulleys 9 and I and belts II and continuously rotates said shaft. The substance to be sliced is fed along a substance support 12 by a feed clamp l3 of the construction disclosed in the copending application of Arthur H. Ahrndt Serial No. 126,- 980. filed February 23, 1937. As shown in that application, the feed clamp 13 is selectively connectable with the feed screw 4 and is intermittently moved thereby. The thickness of the slices to be cut is determined by operating the hand wheel I4, which through conventional mechanism or apparatus arranged in the housing 6, controls the degree of rotation of the feed screw.

The end of the shaft which is journaled in the bearing 1 has secured thereto by means of a key l5 and a set screw I6 (Fig. 3), a member I! having arms l8 and I9. The arm IQ of the member I? is journaled on a shaft 20 by a bearing 2|. The member 22 is bolted to the member I! by bolts 23 (Fig. 2) and is journaled by a bearing 24 (Fig. 3) on a stud 25 secured to the housing 8. The shaft 28 is rotatably mounted in the stud 25 and the coincidental axis of the stud and shaft is in axial alinement with the shaft 5. A sprocket 26 (Figs. 2 and 3) is splined to the shaft 20 on which it is positioned between the arm E9 of the member I! and the forward surface of the member 22. In the lower part of the arm IQ of the member ii, there is journaled a stub shaft 2! having an annular flange 28 to which is bolted a disk knife 29,- and the knife 29 is additionally secured to the shaft 21 by a nut 36 and washer 3| secured to the reduced end portion of said shaft. The shaft 2'? is journaled at its rear end in the lower part of the member 22 and has splined thereto, between the arm l9 and the member 22, a sprocket 32, the sprocket 32 being connected by a chain or chains 33 to the sprocket 26.

At its outer projecting end, the shaft 20 carries a manually operable crank 34 splined thereto by a key 35 and secured against longitudinal movement by the usual lock nut, washer and cotter pin. The crank 34 is in the form of'a Y and has the arms 36 and 31 and a leg 38, the leg 38 extending oppositely to the arms 36 and 31 and the prolongation of its axis bisecting the angle between the arms 36 and 31. The angle between the arms 35 and 3'! is dependent upon the gear ratio of the sprockets 26 and 32 in a manner later to be described. The arms 36 and 3'! and the leg 38 have at their outer ends projections or clamping lugs 39, 40 and 4!, respectively, which are recessed as at 42 to receive a clamping pin 43 carried by one arm of a generally U-shaped bracket 44 pivoted by a bolt 45 to a lug 46 bolted or otherwise secured to the frame or housing 8. The locking pin 43 is mounted in a cylindrical cap 41 threaded in an aperture in one arm of the bracket 44 and the pin is normally urged to its locking position by a spring 48 which engages at one end against upper end of the cap 41 and its other end against a collar 49 formed on the lower end of the pin 43. An enlarged head 56 formed on the upper end of the pin 43 provides. means to manually manipulate the pin to release it from locking position. The leg 38 of the crank 34 is provided with a boss 5| to which is secured an operating handle 52.

A knife shield or deflector 53 (Fig. 3) is secured to the annular flange 28 between the knife 29 and the arm l9.

The knife housing 8 has a cover 53 pivoted at 55 to permit it to be swung back to expose the knife for sharpening. The sharpener 53, which is of any well known design, is adjustably supported upon a rod 51 secured in any convenient manner to the housing 8 and this sharpener is adapted to engage the knife as shown in Fig. 4 when the cover 54 is swung back.

When the shaft 5 is locked against rotation by the engagement of a locking pin 58 (Fig. 1) in an aperture not shown) in the rim of the pulley Hi, the crank 34 may be operated to rotate the shaft 21 independently of the members I! and 22 and the shaft 5.

The operation of the knife 29 is as follows: With the crank 33 locked in position by engagement of the locking pin 43 in the recess 42 in one of the arms 36 or 31 or in the leg 38, the shaft 20 will be locked against movement. Consequently, upon rotation of the shaft 5 by the motor 2, the knife 29 will be given a planetary movement about the alined axes of the shafts 5 and 20. Since the sprocket 26 attached to the shaft 20 is locked against movement, the sprocket chain 33 will pull relatively on the sprocket 32 and cause the shaft 2'! and knife 29 to rotate in a certain phase relation synchronously with the members H and 22 and the shaft 5.

In the case of a slicing machine of the rotaryplanetary type only a portion of the circumference of the knife is active in slicing the substance. The angular separation between the arms of the crank 35 must be equal to the angular distance of the active portion of the knife multiplied by the ratio of movement of the shaft 26 relative to the shaft 21. Accordingly, in the case of dried beef, where the active portion is. normally substantially one-third of the total circumference,

the gear ratio between the sprockets 26 and 32 is made one to three and in conformity with this gear ratio the angle between the arms 36 and 31 is made 40 degrees.

With the crank in the position diagrammatically shown in Fig. 7, wherein the arm 3'! is engaged by the clamp 44, a certain one-third portion of the knife surface will be active and this portion may be assumed to be the sector designated A in Fig. '7. If the crank 34 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 8 wherein the arm 36 is in clamping engagement with the bracket 44, the knife 29 will be rotated through an angular distance equal to three times the angular separation of the arms 36 and 31. Since this angular separation is 40 degrees, the knife 29 will rotate degrees to the position of Fig. 8 and the sector B will be active. If now the crank 34 is rotated still further in a counterclockwise direction through an angle of degrees to the position shown in Fig. 9, wherein the leg 38 is in engagement with the clamp 44, the knife 29 will be rotated through an angle of three times 160 or 480 degrees and the sector C will be active. It will therefore be seen that the crank 34 provides with the clamp 44 means for determining the active portion of the knife and for preselecting or adjusting the same relative to its planetary support.

In addition to the purpose just stated, the crank 34 also provides means for rotating the knife to sharpen the edge thereof when the grinder 56 is positioned as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen from the above description that applicant has provided a slicing machine in which the means for sharpening the knife is also operable to preselect and determine the active portion of the knife whereby the whole surface of the knife may be employed before resharpening is required.

Although in the embodiment herein disclosed reference has been made to the slicing of dried beef for which the gear ratio between the sprockets 26 and 32 has been stated as 3 to 1 and the angular separation between the arms 36 and 3'! of the crank 34 has been stated as. being 40 degrees, it is to be understood that other ratios and angular separations may be employed and that the invention is adaptable to machines for slicing substances other than dried beef.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a substance slicing machine having a rotary knife and a supporting member for said knife rotatable about an axis eccentric to the axis of said knife wherein a portion only of the circumference of said knife is active in slicing the substance, the combination of a shaft upon which said support is journaled, means for normally locking said shaft against rotation, said means comprising a fixed locking member and a manually operable member secured to said shaft and having a plurality of angularly spaced locking 'members, said manually operable member being operable to rotate said shaft relative to said supporting member and said angularly spaced looking members being selectively engageable with said fixed locking member to vary the active portion of said knife.

2. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft and connected to said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife'to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said manually operable means comprising a plurality of angularly spaced members selectively engageable with said locking member to determine the active portion of said knife.

3. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, aknife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, a manually operable crank for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, a member for locking said manually operable crank and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said crank to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, and knife grinding means, said second shaft being operable by said crank upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft and rotatably engage said grinding means, said crank comprising a substantially Y-shaped member, the arms of which are spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the ratio of said gear means, said arms being selectively engageable with said locking member to vary the effective portion of the knife.

l. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, a manually operable crank for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, a member for locking said manually operable crank and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said looking member is engaged with said crank to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, and knife grinding means, said second shaft being operable by said crank upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft and rotatably engage said grinding means, said crank comprising a substantially Y-shaped member having a pair of arms and a leg extending oppositely to said arms, said arms being spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the gear ratio of said gear means and the prolongation of the axis of said leg bisecting the angle between said arms, said arms and said leg being selectively engageable with said locking member to vary the effective portion of the knife.

5. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said manually operable means comprising a substantially Y-shaped member, the

arms of which are spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the ratio of said gear means, said arms being selectively engageable with said locking member to determine the effective portion of the knife.

6. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the sub stance, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said manually operable means comprising a substantially Y- shaped member having a pair of arms and a leg extending oppositely to said arms, said arms being spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the gear ratio of said gear means and the prolongation of the axis of said leg bisecting the angle between said arms, said arms and said leg being selectively engageable with said locking member to determine the effective portion of the knife.

7. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft and connected to said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said manually operable means comprising a plurality of angularly spaced members, said locking member comprising a spring pressed plunger pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the path of said manually operable means and said angularly spaced members having notches therein adapted to receive said spring pressed plunger thereby to lock said manually operable means in selected position whereby to determine the effective portion of said knife.

8. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement-with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, a man ually operable crank for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable crank and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable When said locking member is engaged with said crank to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, said second shaft being operable by said crank upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said locking member comprising a spring pressed plunger pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the path of said manually operable crank and said crank comprising a substantially Y-shaped member, the arms of which are spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the ratio of said gear means, said arms having notches therein adapted to receive said spring pressed plunger, thereby to lock said manually operable crank in selected position whereby to determine the effective portion of the knife.

9. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a knife rotatable about an axis eccentrically to said shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, gear means connecting said second shaft to said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, a member for locking said manually op erable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife relative to said second shaft and thereby render a portion of said knife effective to slice the substance, and knife grinding means, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft and rotatably engage said grinding means, said locking member comprising a spring pressed plunger pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the path of said manually operable means, said manually operable means comprising a substantially Y-shaped member having a pair of arms and a leg extending oppositely to said arms, said arms being spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the effective portion of the knife divided by the gear ratio of said gear means and the prolongation of the axis of said leg bisecting the angle between said arms, said arms and said leg having notches therein adapted to receive said spring pressed plunger thereby to lock said manually operable means in selected position whereby to determine the effective portion of said knife.

10. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, a third shaft eccentric to said driving shaft, a knife rotatably secured to said third shaft, means connecting said second shaft to said third shaft, said connecting means being so designed that the ratio of movement of said second shaft to said third shaft is equal to the ratio of the active edge portion of the knife to the total edge portion of said knife, a manuallyoperable crank for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, a member for locking said manually operable crank and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said crank to rotate said knife and slice the substance, and knife grinding means, said second shaft being operable by said crank upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft and rotatably engage said grinding means, said crank comprising a substantially Y-shaped member, the arms of which are spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the active edge of the knife multiplied by the ratio of movement of said second shaft to said third shaft, said arms being selectively engageable with said locking member to vary the active edge portion of the knife.

11. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a second shaft in axial alinement with the driving shaft, a third shaft eccentric to the driving shaft, a knife rotatably secured to said third shaft, means for connecting said second shaft to said third shaft, said connecting means being so designed that the ratio of movement of said second shaft to said third shaft is equal to the ratio of the active edge portion of the knife to the total edge portion of said knife, manually operable means for rotating said second shaft, means for locking said driving shaft against rotation, and a member for locking said manually operable means and said second shaft against rotation, said driving shaft being operable when said locking member is engaged with said manually operable means to rotate said knife and slice the substance, said second shaft being operable by said manually operable means upon operation of said locking means to cause said knife to rotate relative to said driving shaft, said manually operable means comprising a substantially Y-shaped member, the arms of which are spaced apart an angular distance equal to the angular distance of the active edge portion of the knife multiplied by the ratio of movement of said secnd shaft to said third shaft, said arms being selectively engageable with said locking member to vary the active edge portion of the knife.

12. In a slicing machine, a substance support, a rotary knife, means for revolving sai-d knife around a firstaxis eccentric to the axis of said knife, means for rotating said knife around its own axis at a speed equal to a Whole number. multiple of the speed of its rotation about the eccentric axis whereby a portion only of said knife is effective to slice the substance on the substance support, means for preventing operation of the knife revolving means, and means for relatively adjusting the knife and substance support with respect to the axis of revolution of said knife when operation of said revolving means is prevented to render another portion of said knife effective to slice said substance.

13. In a slicing machine, a driving shaft, a supporting member connected to said shaft for rota,- tion therewith about the axis of said shaft, a rotary knife mounted on said supporting member eccentrically to said shaft for movement bodily with said member, means controlled by the rotation of the supporting member for rotating said knife relative to said member in a determined phase relation to said member whereby a portion only of said knife is effective to slice said substance, means for holding said supporting member against rotation, and manually operable means operative when said supporting member is held against rotation for rotating said knife to vary the phase relation between said supporting member and said knife, thereby to render a substantially different portion of the knife effective to slice said substance.

14. In a substance slicing machine, a driving shaft, a rotary knife, a supporting member for said knife secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said knife being mounted on said supporting member eccentrically of said shaft, a second shaft journaled in said supporting member in axial alignment with said drive shaft, releasable means for locking said second shaft against movement, means connecting said second shaft to said knife, said connecting means comprising a planetary gearing having a gear ratio equal to a whole number whereby said knife is rotated with and relative to its rotatable support upon rotation of said driving shaft and a determined portion of said knife is effective to slice the substance, and manually operable means ope-rably connected to said second shaft for rotating said second shaft upon release of said locking means to render another selected portion of said rotary knife effective to slice the substance.

15. In a slicing machine, a support adapted to receive substance to be sliced, a knife support, means for rotating said knife support, a slicing knife carried by said knife support, planetary transmission means operatively connected to said knife for rotating said knife relative to said knife support at a speed equal to a whole number multiple of the speed of rotation of the knife support whereby a determined portion only of the knife engages and repeatedly slices the substance as the knife support is rotated, and means for shifting said knife and substance relatively through a predetermined angle with'respect to said knife support to render a substantially different determined portion effective to slice the substance as the first determined portion becomes dull.

16. In a slicing machine, a substance support, a rotary knife, a normally stationary shaft eccentrio to the axis of said knife, means for revolving said knife about said shaft, means operatively interconnecting said shaft and said knife for rotating the knife around its own axis during revolution about said shaft and at a speed of rotation equal to a whole number multiple of the speed of its revolution about the shaft, whereby a portion only of said knife is effective to slice the substance on the substance support, and means for rotatably adjusting said normally stationary shaft'to rotate said knife around its own axis to render another portion of said knife effective to slice said substance.

WILLIAM MAHLER. 

